1. Field
Embodiments relate to a Customer Replaceable Unit Monitoring (CRUM) chip, an image forming apparatus for authenticating the CRUM chip, and an authenticating method thereof, and more particularly to an image forming apparatus configured to perform a plurality of authentications that are made individually, a CRUM chip authenticated thereby, and an authentication method thereof.
2. Description of the Related Art
As computers are being increasingly widespread, penetration rates of computer peripherals are also increasing. Most representative examples of computer peripherals are printers, facsimiles, scanners, copy machines, and multiplexers etc.
Image forming apparatuses refer to apparatuses configured to print images on paper using medium such as ink or toner, or to store images in a computer readable record medium. Ink and toner are consumables that are used every time an image forming operation is made and exhausted when used for or more than a predetermined period of time.
When ink or toner is exhausted, a user must replace the unit where the ink or toner is stored. Components or configurative elements that may be replaced in the process of using an image forming apparatus are called consumable units or replaceable units. For brevity of explanation, these components or configurative elements will be referred to as consumable units.
Besides the consumable units such as ink or toner that is eventually exhausted and thus needs to be replaced, there are types of units of which their characteristics change and thus need to be replaced due to poor printing quality. That is, besides developers for different colors, components such as intermediate transfer belts can also be consumable units.
More specifically, an image forming apparatus includes an electrification unit, transcription unit, and settling unit, in which various types of rollers and belts used in each unit may be worn out or deteriorated, thereby significantly degrading the quality of images. Thus, users have to replace each configurative unit, that is, replace a consumable unit at every appropriate replacing period so that clean images may be generated in printing operations.
For good management of such consumable units, recently, memories are being attached to consumable units to transceive information to and from main bodies. For example, various usage information such as number of print pages, number of output dots, and use period of an image forming apparatus may be recorded in the memory of a consumable unit. Accordingly, a user or manager may record various information related to the consumable unit directly in the consumable unit, so as to precisely manage unit replacement period etc. even if each unit is mounted onto other devices.
Especially, in large scale environments such as public organizations, universities, and companies, numerous image forming apparatuses are being easily managed by using MPS (Managed Printing Services) methods. Integrated solution services where MPS methods are used include a charging function of calculating the use fee of consumables per group or individual and charging the fee accordingly, and a function of ascertaining the life span of a consumable and automatically ordering a new one before the consumable runs down. These functions are provided based on exact consumable use information.
For such information management, the main controller provided in the main body of an image forming apparatus and a memory provided in a consumable unit perform communication with each other. However, there may be numerous variables in the communication process. For example, there may be attacks by hackers trying to control the main controller or memory for malicious reasons. A consumable unit may be used too much even beyond the suitable replacing period, or may be refilled by a low quality consumable. Accordingly, the print quality of a script may deteriorate, and even cause breakdown or damage of the image forming apparatus.